Remember Me This Way: Sequel To 'IMAGINE'
by Saturday's Sun
Summary: By a cruel twist of fate, Hermione gets captured by Lucius. Devastated, Draco finally finds her, only at a price. Hermione trades her life and soul... for the freedom of Draco; she has to become a Deatheater. What will happen.. when they meet years later?
1. Nowhere To Run

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned below, so please don't sue me. Thanks.

A/N: Sequel to "Imagine"!!! Have you been waiting for it? If you haven't, read "Imagine" first. I promise, it'll be worth it, not that I'm bragging. =) If you have, then start reading!!! =)

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Nowhere To Run

Seventeen year old Hermione held hands with Draco as they walked through the streets of Hogsmeade. 

It was almost a week after their little excursion on islands, which made changes, whether good or bad, to the many lives of Hogwarts seventh year students, though not all. For only a certain amount of people were assigned to this special 'assignment'. 

Hermione and Draco would never have looked into each other's eyes and see the love hidden in it, if not for this trip. They would have passed by each other every day during school, and say nothing to each other, except pass sarcastic and snide remarks about each other. 

Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, two of Hermione's best friends, were still rather suspicious of this new relationship that carried out between Hermione and Draco. Not that she could blame either of them; Draco and the three of them weren't on the best of terms since their first grade at that the same school: Hogwarts.

Harry had stared at Hermione like a fish out of water when Hermione had made the news about her and Draco being together.

Not to mention that Hermione was especially nervous when it came to telling Harry. The last day when the rest of them were together, Harry suddenly, out of the blue, told Hermione that he liked her very much. Hermione, in a fluster, had simply run away. And neither she nor he ever got a chance to explain whatever misunderstanding they had between each other. 

Yet now, when Hermione had explained that the both of them could never be anything more than good friends, Harry had simply nodded, to Hermione's total surprise, and said that he was just joking. Hermione was so relieved that she didn't see the pained expression on Harry's face.

Instead, she had just gone straight into explaining that her and Draco being an item. Harry was truly concerned about the both of them, especially in the case of Draco Malfoy, but in the end, he had to pretend to be happy for the both of them, since Hermione seemed so happy for herself, for the way things had worked out between Draco and her. (A/N: Sad, huh? I'm starting to feel sorry for the poor guy. Maybe I'll do a Harry/Hermione fic to rid myself of the guilt? =) What do you think?)

It was easier in Ron's case. 

Hermione had told Ron and was shocked that for a few minutes or so, Ron, who was so distracted at that time, had simply said, "Oh," and let go of the subject. 

Just as Hermione was wondering whatever was happening to Ron, Ron suddenly straightened his whole body and shouted, "WHAT?!" 

While on the other hand, Draco just had to deal with Pansy, who started whining and crying, wailing and bawling, saying that she couldn't lose Draco, how important he was to her, and yada yada yada. 

That was considered to be the least trouble of their minds. 

Walking through the streets of Hogsmeade during the weekend, with a lesser amount of people staring at the two of them, Draco had to be on his toes and look around whenever Hermione and him came to a particularly dark or deserted alley or road. 

Hermione had to watch out for suspicious characters, too. Her emotions sort of took on a roller-coaster ride, as they went from nervous, to excited about the new 'spying' thing, then nervous all over again. Towards the end of the day, she was a nervous wreck, and couldn't stop snapping at Draco from time to time. 

Of course, Draco understood perfectly. He himself was getting snappy. He knew he had to get a grip on himself, and to try to put Hermione's nerves back into place. Just as long as he dealt with his first.

As they were walking back to the school premises, Harry came running towards them, panting as he reached them.

"Hermione! You've got to come! Ron's gone mad!"

Hermione raised her left eyebrow. "What do you mean by him going mad?"

"He's gone berserks! 'Mione, come _on_! Draco, make her come, please!"

Draco frowned suspiciously, but decided to come along anyway.

Harry led them to this dark alley that would have led to Knock-turn alley. Just as Draco was about to inquire where the hell were they now, he felt a hard slam against his skull.

Uttering a soft moan of pain, he fell down to the stone-hard ground and lost all consciousness from then.

"Good job, Crabbe. Now go," came a low growl from behind Hermione.

Hermione gasped in shock and turned to Harry for answers.

Harry? There was no Harry. Right now, only one person stood in front of her. She quickly turned into the other direction and tried to run when she heard someone mutter a spell, "Accio Hermione". 

"No," she screamed as she fought back nothing but air. She knew that there was nowhere to run anymore, but she continued fighting and resisting.

Lucius Malfoy smirked as he cast a sleeping spell on the girl, whose resistance was fading. Then he touched a port-key near the both of them and everything surrounding them started fading away in a black and gray swirl.

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*to be continued…*

A/N: Review, please. Thanks! =)


	2. Heaven Knows

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Disclaimer: I do not own the song or the lyrics; the song is sung by Rick Price. The title is "Heaven Knows". So please don't sue me. Thanks! 

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Author's Note: I put this song down; it's about how Draco feels about Hermione gone. How he misses her as well.

She's always on my mind

From the time I wake up

'till I close my eyes

She's everywhere I go

She's all I know

Though she's so far away

It just keeps getting stronger 

Every day

And even now she's gone

I'm still holding on

So tell me where do I start 

'cause it's breaking my heart

Don't wanna let her go

Maybe my love will come back some day

Only heaven knows

And maybe our hearts will find their way

Only heaven knows

And all I can do is hope and pray

'cause heaven knows

My friends keep telling me

That if you really love her

You've gotta set her free

And if she returns in kind

I'll know she's mine

So tell me where do I start

'cause it's breaking my heart

Don't wanna let her go

Maybe my love will come back some day

Only heaven knows

And maybe our hearts will find their way

Only heaven knows

And all I can do is hope and pray

'cause heaven knows

Why I live in despair

'cause while awake or dreaming

I know she's never there

And all these time I act so brave

I'm shaking inside

Why does it hurt me so

Maybe my love will come back some day

Only heaven knows

And maybe our hearts will find their way

Only heaven knows

And all I can do is hope and pray

'cause heaven knows

Heaven knows

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Author's Note: So… how was it? Give me your reviews!


	3. Not Alone

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Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the chapter below. So please don't sue me. Thank you.

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Not Alone

"Where am I?" Hermione exclaimed softly to herself as she slowly shook her head. As if to rid itself of the rippling waves she had been experiencing. The stench of rotten fish around her made her retch and feel nauseous. She bent over a corner and pressed her stomach.

Finally, when all nausea was over, and she got a better balance of her own body, she tried racking her head for better ideas of why she was trapped in this dungeon looking cell.

Wait a minute, this _is_ a dungeon. She tried moving forward to get a closer look before she experienced a restriction in both her hands. They were tied, with thick ropes binding them together. As Hermione turned her head over her shoulder to inspect the ropes more closely, she could see that there was no way that she could cut through those ropes, not without her wand.

Speaking of wands… Hermione looked down at the pockets of her robes. No bulges. Which could only mean one thing. No wand, no free hands. 

"Who did this to me," she gave a soft cry of outrage.

"I did," came Lucius's cold, menacing hiss.

"You!" Hermione shouted angrily, finally remembering what happened in that dark corner down Knock-turn alley. 

"Yes, me," Lucius Malfoy looked down and smirked at Hermione.

Hermione glared at him and it was difficult to see whose hatred was more intent.

"Now, come, Master would like to see you."

"Is that Voldemort you're speaking of? 'cause if it is, he's filthy and I don't think I will-" Lucius stopped her in mid-air by striking her left cheek. The impact was so great; Hermione would have been sent flying if she was standing instead of sitting on a strong wooden chair, hands bound.

"Talk about filthy, _Mudblood_," Lucius all but sneered in her face. "Now, come, before I hit you again."

Feeling a bit dizzy, Hermione had no choice but to walk slowly with Lucius in the back pushing her forward almost all the time, saying that her speed was too slow for anyone on Earth.

After a few agonizing minutes for Hermione's legs, which felt positively numb from sitting down too long, the both of them finally reached a bigger cellar; except that this was much grander, compared to the other one Hermione had been in previously. Plus, there was no fish stench, and Hermione soon felt better, despite the fact that she didn't know where she was.

"Where the hell did you bring me?" she snapped at Lucius.

Lucius Malfoy was about to answer her question with a smirk when he took Hermione by surprise and bent down on one knee. 

Hermione turned around and gasped in shock as she saw Voldemort standing right in front of her. Why didn't she notice him before?

"I should have known," she spat.

Voldemort looked Hermione from head to toe. "I can see why your son wanted her so much," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. That deepened Hermione's scowl further.

"Shut up and get to your point."

"Very well. Lucius's son has no doubt gotten involved with you. I see things that I shouldn't see and I know things that I shouldn't as well."

"Oh, really?" came a sarcastic reply, followed by a smirk.

The expression on Voldemort's face was unreadable. 

"You don't want him to follow the same path his father did."

Hermione was a smart girl; she knew where this was leading her to. She started shaking her head emphatically and mouthing the word, "no".

An unmistakable smirk was shown on Voldemort's face.

"Yes," he hissed softly. He then turned to Lucius, who looked like he was in between the two choices: losing a son, or losing a master, which will then lead to losing his life.

"Yes, master?" he asked tentatively. It was probably one of the first times when Hermione could sense the fear deep within Lucius Malfoy.

"Bring your son to me tomorrow."

Hermione shouted her denial, and Lucius somehow wanted to agree with her; he didn't want to lose his son like that.

"You have no choice in this, girl. Either you-" but Voldemort stopped in mid-sentence. "Bring the girl back into her cell," he spat with disgust.

Lucius was about to ask his master for further instructions when Voldemort said something yet again.

"She is not alone." 

That was it. The end of the short 'conversation', that is, if it was friendly enough to be called one.

Hermione didn't understand what Voldemort meant by his last words, and seriously, neither did Lucius.

He flung her back into her cell forcefully, and Hermione had to steady her fall by placing both hands on the wall, which she later found to her disgust that it was terribly slimy.

She found a clean spot in the cell and started sitting down carefully. As she pondered about what Voldemort meant, she slowly drifted away to sleep.

The next morning, Hermione woke up dizzy again. She decided that it was really the smell. But as she sniffed the air more closely, she found to her surprise that it was not that bad smelling anymore. Someone must have cleaned the cell when she went out to meet Voldemort. She didn't know who it was, but she was damn grateful.

Yet, as she stood up swiftly, she felt a rush of blood to her head, and once again, a wave of nausea broke through her body.

What the hell, Hermione thought, bewildered. This has been happening since I've been brought in here. Must be the food.

But when days passed by, and she woke up every morning feeling the same retching and craving for sour stuff, she finally understood to her dismay what Voldemort meant by his last words to her.


	4. Soft Cries In The Night

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters below. So please don't sue me! Thanks! =)

A/N: So… how was the first chapter? Was it good? Good enough? Or was it just all right? Hope you reviewed the first chapter before proceeding to reading the second one. Thanks.

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Soft Cries In The Night

"No! I don't want a butter beer! I don't want _anything_! I just want Hermione back!" Draco yelled over the din in the pub down Diagon Alley, making the people around them stare at the threesome.

Ron balled his fist angrily. "Don't we all do?! Sitting here and whining won't exactly bring her back, right?!"

Harry gulped nervously, facing the two angry, red-faced boys in front of him. "Right," he stammered. The three of them were in the pub right now, only about an hour or two left from their curfew to return to Hogwarts. Draco was devastated to find that Hermione was gone after he had woken up with a large lump on his head.

Angrily, he had stormed into Hogwarts and cuffed Harry on the neck, with Ron trying desperately to ward Draco off, but to no avail.

Harry was almost dead from lack of air when Dumbledore stopped them and demanded sternly that they should solve all their problems calmly. So Draco had no choice, other than to let go of Harry's neck and face Dumbledore, with a look of fear and worry in his eyes.

Dumbledore, sensing the trouble brewing among the three boys, quickly summoned all three of them to his office and sat them down.

  
Draco quickly explained and Harry denied the accusation just as quickly. Of course, Draco didn't believe a word that Harry said until Dumbledore himself said that Harry and Ron were with him the time when the kidnapping happened.

  
Utterly devastated and not knowing where to look for, Draco's shoulder slumped and Dumbledore, pitying the poor boy in front of him, let him, along with Harry and Ron, go to Hogsmeade once more to comb out the entire area, especially near Knock-turn alley, for a few more hours.

After searching for an hour or two, the night sky started turning dark, and Harry had suggested them to go for some drinks to cool themselves off, especially Draco and Ron. Ron was just angry that Draco lost her, and for Draco, he was just upset that Hermione was gone. Ron was also rather distracted about something else, though Harry had never gotten around to asking him what happened on the island and who he got for the assignment.

The last time Harry had finally had the time and energy to ask the latter question, Ron blew him off completely, saying that he did not want to talk about it ever.

"Look, I did not lose her, all right?!" Draco shouted, uncaring of the number of pairs of eyes staring at them. 

"Well, then, she certainly didn't lose herself!!" Ron retorted, equally angry.

"Just shut your mouth, Weasley!" 

"Oh, so it's back to name-calling again, huh, Malfoy?" Ron spat bitterly and sarcastically.

Draco ignored him and took a large swig of the beer in front of him, spilling most of it down his front without even knowing it.

"I'm starting to wonder if you have a hand in this kidnapping case of Hermione," Ron mumbled.

That was the last straw. Draco knocked his cup askew and butter beer flowed down the counter like the Niagara Waterfalls.

Slamming Ron against the hard stone bricks of a wall, Draco shouted, "Do you think I would have Hermione hurt?! Do you?!" 

Harry would have suspected that Draco did have something to do with Hermione being gone, but after seeing how upset Draco was and how he had tried drowning himself along with his troubles in butter-beer, he suspected him no more. 

Ron slowly shook his head to Draco's yelled question, and Draco started to loosen his grip on Ron's collars. 

"I need to go," he said suddenly, slamming a few coins on the counter, where the bartender started clucking his tongue in disapproval. With that, Draco left the pub, leaving Harry and Ron to stare at his retreating shadow.

Alone in his room, Draco shut his curtains and cast a binding spell on them so that they wouldn't open, not even with Hercules there to try. And he also cast a silencing spell, so no one would hear his soft cries in the night. 

Monday morning came as swiftly and surely as the owl post that day. 

Owls of different colors swooped down with fluttering wings and landed smoothly on their respective tables, in front of their respective receivers.

Draco didn't care about what the others received, not that he used to. He had turned his ginger ale into strong liquor, and had started to drown himself all over again. 

Of course, Dumbledore saw him cast the spell, along with Professor McGonagall. She had tried to stop him, but Dumbledore laid an assuring hand on her forearm, insisting her to sit down. She had protested slightly, but then understood what Dumbledore had meant and accepted it perfectly. She just hoped from then that Draco wouldn't have much of a hangover.

Draco was about to drift off into unawareness again, which sometimes meant that he was drunk, when a school owl landed on the Slytherin table, in front of him. He sat up straight, fully awake now, and began ripping the envelope apart. 

The short note read:

She is in my hands now. If you want to see her again, come to Hogsmeade tonight. Alone. You will find her at the Shrieking Shack. If you don't come by the twilight hours, you'll never see another hair of her again. 

Clutching the note tightly in his balled up fist, Draco walked over to the headmaster and whispered in Dumbledore 's ears.

Almost the whole hall watched as Dumbledore shook his head and Draco looking almost desperate, something so rare that people stared. 

"Please, professor. Can't you see? If I don't go, Hermione will die!" came his soft plea.

"But if you go, you might not come back, too, Mister Malfoy," reasoned Dumbledore.

"I don't care," Draco hissed. "I just want to get her back. So is it a yes or a no? Can I go or not?" 

Dumbledore shook his head once more. "Hogwarts is the safest place, Mister Malfoy. Don't go and get yourself into trouble," he warned quietly.

Draco spat out, "fine", turned his back at the headmaster and sat down at his seat.

He didn't mean to be rude to Dumbledore, and Albus knew it too. The boy was just too distraught to mind his manners, as he told Professor McGonagall. 

One thought just reeled in Draco's head. _I will find her, and no one will stop me._

He borrowed Harry's Invisibility Cloak, but didn't tell him why. He just said that he needed a quiet walk in the pitch, and didn't want anyone to disturb him, so he needed the cloak for absolute privacy.

Harry had his suspicions, of course, although he didn't ask. Much, anyway.

Draco slipped out of the trapdoor, which he had found in his earlier years. It led outside, to the exact path to Hogsmeade.

Running, he finally reached the Shrieking Shack. As he entered the quiet room, he slipped off the cloak and looked around. A tall shadow loomed across the 

room. 

He was about to go over when he saw a glimpse of silver. No, it can't be, he thought despairingly.

He tried opening the door, but it was locked. Before he could even utter the spell "Alohomora", Lucius snatched the wand away from him.

"One wrong move, boy, and the Mudblood won't live long enough," he hissed dangerously.

Knowing that he had fallen into a trap that was somewhat inevitable, Draco let go of his wand, which cluttered to the ground with a 'bump'.

The next thing he knew, he was transported to another place with his father, using a Port-key.

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*to be continued…*

A/N: I personally think that this chapter was just all right. Not good, and not bad either. I don't know. Give me your reviews? =) 

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	5. Never Meant To Be

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the chapter below. Also, I used a poem written by Melissa Collette, named "Inside". I found it in a book which compiles of stories of love, tough stuff, family, friends, and many other aspects of life. However, I cut off and changed a few words in that poem (in _italics_).

~* **Never Meant To Be** *~

Draco got the fateful letter earlier that day, during owl post.

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'Come to the Shrieking Shack tonight at eight. Come alone or you'll never see her again.'

And attached to the letter were a few strands of Hermione's auburn hair.

"Harry, I need to talk to you." Draco whispered softly, as he patted on Harry's shoulder during dinner.

Harry nodded grimly, and even though Ron protested, he followed Draco out of the Great Hall. 

"What is it?" he asked Draco the moment the both of them were beyond anyone's hearing limits. 

"I need to borrow the Invisibility Cloak from you."

Harry looked at Draco suspiciously. Only then did he notice the panic and fear in his voice and see the sweat-drops gathering at his temples. His hair was slick and wet, as usual, but not with any gel. It was with perspiration.

"Why?" Harry asked, wary of what Draco might do with his cloak.

"Don't ask me, please. I'll tell you after everything. Right now I just need to borrow it."

This could be the time where Harry took his revenge out on Draco. For Draco stole Hermione away from them all; for Draco teased and made fun of him and never gave him a moment's peace since first grade. Harry thought over it for a while.

Then he led Draco to the Gryffindor common room.

Making sure that the cloak was covering every part of his body, Draco sneaked past the library and avoided the suspicious and creepy-looking stare of Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. He had worked his way through 'obstacles' like these before, but tonight, he was undeniably more afraid. Not because he was fearful of being caught. But of what he would see and encounter tonight, when he arrives at the Shrieking Shack. Would he see his Hermione? Or what?

Seconds passed on as minutes and minutes as hours. He finally reached the Shrieking Shack, as he slid his way through the secret passageway from Hogwarts. He shut the only entrance to the shack and waited fearfully and quietly for the door to open, as he sat down on the haystack.

The door opened slowly, and creaked at its rusty hinges. Draco shot up in his temporary seat and glanced around. There was no one around.

Puzzled, he was about to sit down again when his father suddenly appeared in front of him. 

"Think you're the only one who has a cloak?" came the hiss of the disgustingly familiar voice.

"Where's Hermione?!" Draco nearly shouted as Lucius stared down at him. Draco was tall, but Lucius was taller by a head.

Lucius snarled. "Shut up. Do you want people to hear us?"

Draco was so tempted to shout a 'yes', but he was afraid of the dire consequences. 

"Where is she?" he asked in a softer tone, but nonetheless equally dangerous, if not more.

"Somewhere. A place where I will bring you to."

"Then take me along with you. Now."

"Your wish is my command, _son_," came the sarcastic reply. And then, all went dark as Draco and Lucius grabbed hold of a port-key nearby and went back to the all-mighty fortress.

"Draco!" the sound of his name was like music to his ears.

"Hermione!" Draco was about to rush forward to grab hold of Hermione and get her out of this sickeningly dark and creepy place when someone stopped him. Or rather, two people stopped him in his footsteps. And it was none other than the fathers of Crabbe and Goyle. 

"Slaves, are we now?" Draco sniggered. They were about to slap Draco silly when Hermione's voice cut in.

"Touch him, and you're dead."

Now, obviously they weren't going to listen to her, not unless…

"Listen to her," came Voldemort's cold voice.

  
Voldemort snapped his bony fingers and an unmistakable snap was heard. The dim lights of the dark room came on. For the first time in his life, Draco could get a glimpse of how hideous and ugly Voldemort really was.  


He could also see how Hermione's hands were bound tightly and how she was forced to kneel in front of Voldemort.

"Hermione!" he shouted once more.

  
"Bring him to me."

"Don't touch me, you filthy creature."

"I won't touch you. I want to strike a deal with you." Voldemort sneered.

"Oh, really? I'd hate to think what sort of _deals_ you mean."

"Oh, it's a fair one, no doubt. And I can tell that your little girlfriend knows all about it."  
  
"Hermione? Know what?" Draco was truly scared now, of what he might stand to lose.

"Why don't you tell him about it, you smart little girl?" the corners of Voldemort's mouth curled up into a crooked smirk. It was plain disgusting to watch as Voldemort tried to keep in touch with his more 'human' feelings by smiling, but to no avail.

"Just get on with it, you disgusting creep." Hermione couldn't take it any longer. A few more minutes and she won't be able to see Draco again. And at the same time, she wondered if she would lose her sanity to someone equally unstable as she was right now.

"Very well. Listen up, little boy. I am willing to set you free-"

Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. But he should have known there was a catch to what Voldemort was saying. There always was.

"- at the price of _her_ freedom."

"Never," came the emphatic reply.

"Too bad, it's not up to you. After all, _she_ will be the death-eater I will be grooming, not you. Not anymore."

"I-" Draco didn't know what to say; yet he knew somehow the answer Hermione would give. Please, he thought, don't let me be right.

Hermione stared at Draco for the longest time of her life, knowing that she won't be able to look at him in the eye for a very long time. 

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You can see it in my eyes

Read it on my face

Trapped inside are reminiscences 

Of the past I can't replace

With memories that linger

Won't seem to go away

Why can't I be happier

Today's a brand new day 

She closed her eyes briefly, letting the full force of her pain wash over her whole body. She tried to feel beyond her pain, for the little life growing inside her. She thought about how people kept telling her that this love was never meant to be, and about how she wanted to prove so many people wrong.

__

Yesterdays are over

Even though the hurting's not

Nothing is forever

I must cherish what I've got

Don't take my love for granted

For soon it will be gone

All you ever wanted

Of the love you thought you'd won

The hurt I'm feeling now

Won't disappear overnight

But someday, somehow

Everything will turn out all right

But as she opened her eyes again, the tears were obviously welling up as she said, "Then set him free."

__

No more wishing for the past

It wasn't meant to be

It didn't seem to last

So I have to set him free

~* to be continued *~ 

A/N: I think this was a pretty good chapter, especially the last part. Only one word is to be said: review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	6. Found

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned below, except for Sheila Campbell. 

**Found**

"It's time, Draco, let's go," Harry said softly.

Draco merely nodded. It was time for another one of the missions that the aurors had received.

5 years have passed since the fateful day which Hermione had sacrificed herself in order to save Draco from the clutches of Voldemort. Since then, Draco became such a quiet man who always seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. He and Harry strived to become aurors and now, both of them were top aurors. Yet even though they have taken down countless Deatheaters, there seemed to be no end to it all. Voldemort was still on the loose, and Draco had no idea what he had done to Hermione. It pained him to think about the endless and dreadful possibilities, even though it has been for so long since they parted. Draco was tired of the fighting and he has experienced disappointment so many times. He'd look forward to meeting Hermione every time the aurors go out on a mission and every time, she'd not appear. Yet he just wouldn't believe that she was dead. His sweet Hermione couldn't be dead; she just couldn't be. His heart would just stop beating if that were true.

Harry eventually got married to a muggle, Sheila Campbell. He's happy with the marriage and with his two kids, waiting for him to come home everyday. It hurts him so to see his good friend, Draco, in such pain. He wants Draco to feel the same kind of joy he himself experiences when he goes back home and gets a warm welcome from his loving wife and kids. But he knows that Draco would never find that sort of peace and happiness with anyone other than Hermione. That's why on every mission, both he and Draco would strive to find Hermione. However, Harry himself has lost quite a bit of hope. It's been 5 years, Harry often thinks to himself, _what hope could there be?_

Yet they both search, for the existence of Hermione Granger.

"On your left, Draco!"

Draco ducked to the right and Harry finished the last Deatheater off. The aurors cheered, except for Harry and Draco. They knew another mission had gone by without them finding Hermione, nor even the slightest clue to where she was, and whether she was still alive or not.

The aurors were about to return back to the Ministry of Magic when Draco heard a slight flutter in the bushes behind him. No one else but him seemed to have heard it and he thought he had imagined it. Yet a strange feeling tugged at him, so he decided to investigate it.

"You guys go ahead. I have something I need to do first."

Harry looked at Draco with a questioning look in his eyes, but Draco nodded to indicate that he'd be all right on his own. Harry then left with the other aurors.

Draco then followed the direction of slight shuffle of leaves earlier on. He walked on for quite a distance when he saw someone in front of him. He pulled out his wand and was about to attack the hooded Deatheater before him when the Deatheater disappeared.

Draco looked around more closely and found that the person had grabbed a flower earlier on as a Portkey. The Portkey was still there. Draco wondered if he should ask for more help from the other aurors in case this clue really led him to Voldemort. In the end, he sent a signal to Harry about his whereabouts. With that, he grabbed the Portkey.

Draco felt his two feet land on solid ground and he opened his eyes. _Where am I?_

The place was creepy, with no flowers nor grass nor whatsoever. It was like a graveyard, except that it didn't even have tombstones or anything. It was a wasteland, which reeked of blood and evil. Draco explored the place for a while before he heard a few more feet hit the ground behind him.

He pulled out his wand and turned around, only to find Harry and a few other aurors.

"What is this place," Harry asked, as he also seemed to be creeped out by the weird aura the place was giving out.

"It reeks of blood, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Harry scrutinized the area and had the same conclusion as Draco. They both had no conclusion.

"There's nothing here, Draco," Harry said.

"I know, but I saw a Deatheater grab the Portkey earlier on."

"Do you think it might have been a trap?"

"Maybe. But if it were, then why isn't anybody here to welcome us?"

Harry was about to answer when someone answered that question for him.

"Very well. A warm welcome you shall get," hissed someone.

"Voldemort." Harry muttered under his breath while Draco looked around frantically to find the source of the voice.

"No need to search. I'm right here," hissed Voldemort.

Draco and Harry looked ahead and the mist cleared.

Voldemort stood before them, but he wasn't alone. On his right was Wormtail and Lucius Malfoy. On his left was…

"Hermione?" Both Harry and Draco exclaimed as pure shock took over their bodies.

A/N: I know it's a short chapter.. but I really can't help it. I'm rushing out sooo many of my stories now. It's finally the hols, but I'm working from Mon to Fri, so I only have the weekends to rush them out. Plus I'm writing a new story which involves Sesshoumaru and a new character which I created. Those who watch or read about Inuyasha should know what I'm talking about. Yup, so Inuyasha fans, please read the story and review! Heh, sorry, couldn't help but advertise a bit for my new story. My point is, I'm rushing not only Harry Potter stories, but also stories of other genres. Like Beyblade and Inuyasha. Yup, I'm going to upload another chapter of My Sassy Girl (my Beyblade fic) as soon as I can. )


	7. Over All Too Fast

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned below in this chapter. So please don't sue me! ) From the previous chapter… 

"There's nothing here, Draco," Harry said.

"I know, but I saw a Deatheater grab the Portkey earlier on."

"Do you think it might have been a trap?"

"Maybe. But if it were, then why isn't anybody here to welcome us?"

Harry was about to answer when someone answered that question for him.

"Very well. A warm welcome you shall get," hissed someone.

"Voldemort." Harry muttered under his breath while Draco looked around frantically to find the source of the voice.

"No need to search. I'm right here," hissed Voldemort.

Draco and Harry looked ahead and the mist cleared.

Voldemort stood before them, but he wasn't alone. On his right was Wormtail and Lucius Malfoy. On his left was…

"Hermione?" Both Harry and Draco exclaimed as pure shock took over their bodies.

Over All Too Fast 

It was Hermione all right – no doubt whatsoever about it. Draco didn't know how to react. It would have sounded ridiculous to anyone else watching. And these same people would be the ones waving their imaginary pom-poms in the air, saying, "kill him, you baboon! What are you waiting for? Sunrise?"

But all Draco did was stare. And stare. And stare. It was that kind of feeling one got when one has found a little trinket that had been lost for so long. Yet it was something that was never forgotten by the owner. Draco felt something like that, and even more. He looked at Hermione and even though it was her hair, her body, her hands, her feet, somehow it wasn't her. Hermione never had those blank eyes.

"Hermione?" he started to move towards her, with one arm outstretched, as if wanting to feel her, just to confirm that it really was her and that she wasn't just one of the many illusions he has had all these years. Ever since she was gone, he had always felt her presence around and had sometimes seen her around too. But every time he reached out, she disappeared like fog and all he could grab hold of was thin air.

There was no response from Hermione. "Hermione?" he tried again, as he inched closer and closer towards his loved one.

Harry was the first out of everyone to snap out of it. He knew something was wrong. He too had stared at Hermione with pure shock registered on his face when she had first appeared. Yet now, his eyes darted back and forth, between Hermione, Voldemort and his other minions. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong, he thought. Voldemort was smiling that creepy smile, as if he had everything under control, and Harry knew that if he didn't snap Draco out of it, all of them would be in grave danger. Even Hermione.

So he took out his wand in a swift movement and grabbed hold of Draco.

"Snap out of it, Draco! Something's not right!"

Draco was still in a trance. He seemed to have heard Harry calling out to him and he felt someone pull him back, but to him, at that very moment, Hermione was all that mattered. So he fought back.

Harry felt the resistance and pulled even harder. "Draco! Stop it!" he urged. Yet Draco ignored Harry once more.

"My, my, fighting amongst each other, aren't we? I'd never thought I'd live to see that sight."

Harry stared angrily at Voldemort, who was gloating as he watched the scene develop in front of his eyes. He knew this would do the trick. After all these years of waiting and training of that Mudblood, he would finally have his day of glory. He would finally kill Harry Potter with his own bare hands. And of course, who could forget the ungrateful son of Lucius Malfoy – Draco Malfoy. Voldemort had wanted to wring the neck of Draco ever since Draco fought back against him, refusing to be one of Voldermort's loyal Deatheaters. Look what it has gotten you into, Draco, Voldemort thought, with a slight tinge of regret. Yet the regret wasn't directed at Draco. It was a regret that the both of them – Hermione and Draco – could have been great Deatheaters together.

But right now, looking over to his left, looking at the girl he had trained well, and looking at the blank and estranged look in her eyes, he knew that he had done well and had gotten the better end of the deal. He knew that Draco would die today. In the hands of his beloved servant – Hermione Granger.

Harry's grip on Draco tightened. He didn't want to let go – he couldn't put Draco's life in danger like that.

But suddenly, he felt Draco prying his fingers off. Not to shake him off, nor to oppose him, but Draco's slow gesture and the calm look in his grey eyes seemed to tell him that he had snapped out of it. For once in his life, Harry was grateful for Voldermort's creepy voice. It had prevented Draco from going crazy.

Harry let go and Draco looked at Hermione once more. My sweet Hermione, he thought, now with a clearer mind, what have they done to you?

Then he felt anger. And hate. How dare they do such a thing to you? How dare they take the love of my life away from me just like that?

He gave Voldermort a smouldering look. One that said 'you're going to die here. Right here and right now'. Voldermort was a little surprised by the look in Draco's eyes but as usual, he kept all his emotions under a perfect little mask.

"What is it, lover boy?"

"You better say your prayers. Before I kill you with my bare hands."

"How frightened you have made me."

"You better be."

"Why? What's the matter? Is this about little Hermione? The love of your life?" Voldermort sneered and grabbed Hermione by the chin, forcing her to look at Draco. But she seemed to have no feelings – she seemed to stare right through Draco, and this made his heart tear, until he told himself firmly that the woman he was staring at was just a shell. The real Hermione he loved was locked up somewhere, waiting to be released.

"Don't. Touch. Her."

"Why, is that a threat?"

"No." Draco pointed his wand at Voldermort. "It's a promise."

Voldermort sneered and pushed Hermione in front of him, making her a shield.

"Kill me, then."

Draco's grip on his wand wavered. His first thought was to grab Hermione and get out of that place.

"You coward. You always needed someone around, didn't you? Just to make yourself safe."

Voldermort cackled. "Say whatever you want, Malfoy. I wouldn't budge. And when is it going to get through to that thick head of yours that your girlfriend here –" he pulled Hermione's hair forcefully, yanking her head up – "is with me now. She'll never do anything on her own, unless I say so."

Draco was furious. How dare he touch her like that? He was about to say something when Harry intervened.

"Stop it, Voldermort. When's all this going to stop?"

"When I've finally killed you with my bare hands."

Harry laughed. "And when'll that be, Voldermort? When is it going to get through to that thick head of YOURS that YOU will never be able to kill ME."

"I mean, look at you," Harry continued, hoping against hope that his plan would work, "Draco's right. You need your minions to do all that work for you? Where have you been hiding ALL THIS WHILE, Voldermort? I've been waiting for you for so many years! And when you finally show up, you show up with so many other people. That's who you really are, Voldermort. A coward. And don't even bother denying it."

Voldermort seethed with anger. "You have made me the way I am. I was to be king. To rule the world with my own hands. And then the famous POTTER came." He spat the name out with a vengeance. "You were such a sweet baby then, do you remember? So young and innocent. Then you almost killed me with my own spell!"

Harry laughed once more, just to make Voldermort riled up so that his plan could be executed. "That only means one thing. That you're WEAK. You're BEYOND WEAK, Voldermort. You're sickening to the eyes. I can't stand looking at you anymore. Look at you! You're holding a GIRL hostage. And you're supposed to be king? To rule the world with your own hands? Face it. You'll never be able to do so. It's best to just die in peace, and leave everyone alone."

Voldermort was beyond angry at that moment. In fact, anger clouded his vision so much that he didn't realize that Harry and Draco had passed a look between them – one that was known only to the two of them. He also didn't realize that all the other aurors had them surrounded. His other minions were so absorbed in the verbal fight between their master and Harry Potter that they too were shocked when they finally realized that they weren't alone.

Before Voldermort could react, Harry shouted out "Now!" and it all happened too fast.

Draco darted over to Hermione and grabbed hold of her and suddenly streaks of light decorated the skies.

It was over all too fast.

A/N: so how was it? I know the fighting scene sounds a bit lame-o… but I admit, I'm terrible at portraying this scenes. So instead of making the description long and awful, I've decided to shorten n quicken the pain for all of us. Haha well.. read and review, ya? Thx guys! )


	8. Never Give Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters below.

**From the previous chapter…**

Draco darted over to Hermione and grabbed hold of her and suddenly streaks of light decorated the skies.

It was over all too fast.

Never Give Up 

"Hermione?" Draco called her name for the seemingly hundredth time. And for the seemingly hundredth time, Hermione Granger didn't answer him. Draco was getting desperate. Desperate for her to hear him; for her to hug him and say everything's all right now; for her to kiss all his unshed tears away. But she wouldn't say a thing. She was still staring blankly into space, staring right through Draco.

"Draco," Harry was trying his best to break the truth gently to Draco, "she doesn't know who you are anymore."

"No." Draco's answer never once deviated from that. It was always a "no" whenever it came to forgetting Hermione, moving on, and to get her to see and recognize Draco.

Harry almost gave up – Draco wasn't exactly the most flexible person on earth, but when it came to this, he was practically immovable like a heavy rock firmly settled on the ground.

"Draco," he tried again, "we have to let them examine her before we know what really went wrong to cause her to act this way." He got the same answer as he did before.

In actual fact, the two of them were not the only people in the entire room. The whole jury was there, and so were the previous members of the Order of the Phoenix, save for Sirius Black.

Remus Lupin placed his hand gently on Draco's shoulder. "My boy, it is time. You have to let us do what we have to do. Don't you want to know the truth behind it all?"

Draco wanted to know the truth; goodness knows how much he needed to know. But he was so afraid of what they would do to Hermione in order to get the truth, and he was so very fearful of the consequences. Hermione Granger was a good student, and she was a good person. But she was a Deatheater, and no matter how good her academic results or testimonial from her tutors were, there was no escaping the fact that she worked for Voldemort. Deatheaters would mostly be sent to the Azkaban prison, where in Draco's opinion, a place that contained no humans, only monsters.

"Promise me you won't hurt her. Promise me, and I'll let you people do all the questioning you want."

Remus looked at Draco in the eye and knew that he couldn't lie. "I can't promise that, Draco, and you as an Auror should know that perfectly well."

"Then you can't touch her," came the matter-of-fact statement.

"Draco," Remus was fast losing his patience, and so was the rest of the jury.

"No."

Remus was about to hex him when Harry stopped Remus.

"Draco," he said, "you ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Draco continued massaging Hermione's hands, which were tightly bound by rope to the arms of the uncomfortable steel chair she was currently sitting in. There was no telling whether he was listening to what Harry was saying, but Harry knew that he was, and so he continued speaking.

"You think you're the only one in pain? You're so bloody selfish; have you ever thought that Hermione might just be suffering as well? And maybe even more than you. You're not the one who had to be one of Voldemort's Deatheaters. You're not the one who had to be confined and locked up until you're fully trained by Voldemort. You're not the one sitting in that chair, Draco."

That caught Draco's full attention. He turned to look at Harry, and said, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that you're not only keeping the truth from yourself, but from everyone else, and Hermione as well. It is bloody obvious that she's under some kind of spell and goodness knows that she'll want to be out of it as soon as possible. And guess what, Draco? You're the only one preventing that from happening. This time, you're causing her pain, and no one else."

Harry knew he was harsh with his words, but he had to be. At this point of time, any other kind of treatment would just go through Draco's mind without him thinking about it. He had to make Draco see some sense.

"I wouldn't hurt her."

"I know you wouldn't." Harry's tone became gentler, but nonetheless still firm. "That's why you have to let her be examined. They're professionals, Draco. Even though they can't promise you that they can't hurt her, you know that they'll try their hardest not to. In any case, any temporary kind of pain is definitely better than a permanent trance."

Draco seemed to be thinking about it, and Harry knew that he shouldn't push his good friend anymore.

"All right," Draco said after what seemed like such a long time, and the answer was such a relief to everyone it was almost like music to their ears.

Remus Lupin and the rest of the jury proceeded with the examination quickly, before Draco could change his mind. But during the entire period of assessment, Draco was there, holding Hermione's hand in his.

"We've come to a conclusion."

Draco looked at Remus Lupin with imploring eyes.

"She's been under the Imperius Curse for too long. Plus, we suspect that Voldemort had been feeding her a potion that has the same controlling effects of the Imperius Curse. That's why he has so much control over her."

"Not anymore."

"Yes, Draco, not anymore."

"Her memory?"

"We're not all sure about that; about whether he erased it or not. If you'll give us the green light on feeding her the Veritaserum, we'll all find out."

"Okay."

And there the potion went, down Hermione's throat. She gurgled for a while and Draco rubbed her back lovingly, muttering soft and gentle words in her ear, which strangely, seemed to calm her down quite a bit.

After a few seconds, Remus Lupin began the questioning all over again.

"What is your name?"

"Hermione Granger."

"How many siblings do you have?"

"I don't know."

"Who do you work for?"

"Lord Voldemort." That answer pierced through Draco's heart like a sharp arrow. He wanted to shout out his denial, but he controlled himself and all he said was, "it's my turn to ask."

Remus nodded grimly.

"Do you remember who Draco Malfoy is?"

Hermione hesitated for a while, before her answer tore Draco's heart apart.

"No."

Draco's mouth formed a silent 'oh' and suddenly he couldn't feel his heartbeat. He couldn't feel the ground beneath him, nor could he feel the pressure of Harry's hand on his shoulder. He couldn't feel the sympathetic glances that everyone in the room gave him. Yet he could feel the earth swallowing him up and the sky falling down on him.

Remus Lupin knew that that was enough – another blow like that would have Draco on the ground forever.

"All right. Enough," and he practically dragged the lifeless looking Draco Malfoy out of the room. Draco actually let him do that without protesting and Harry knew how much Hermione's answer had broken his heart.

Once outside the room, Remus took Draco by the shoulders and shook him forcefully.

"It's not her fault, Draco, and you know it."

No answer. Draco seemed to have heard someone talking, but he couldn't really hear anything – everything just seemed to be in a blur. Hermione, his sweet, loving Hermione, couldn't remember him. What point was there in living? At that point of time, his life seemed even emptier than it had been when Hermione was forcefully taken away from him, if that was even possible.

"Draco!" Remus urged.

Still no answer.

"Draco, listen. We will try our damnest best to get her out of that stupor, you hear me? Do not give up, Draco. Because if you do, there won't be anyone left to be strong for her."

Draco seemed to get a little of his senses back.

"I-" was all Draco managed to say before he slumped against the wall and slowly curled himself up into a ball. The unshed tears came without warning.

Remus's heart went out to Draco.

"Draco, please, stay here. I need to go back in."

Remus went back into the room and asked Harry to watch over Draco – he couldn't trust Draco to be alone right now.

Harry nodded without hesitating and went out of the room.

After an hour, Remus came out, looking so tired that Harry almost didn't have the heart to question him about what went on in that room. But looking at Draco, who was no longer crying, but still slumped against the wall without saying a word, Harry knew he had to ask, for both Draco's and his sake.

"What's going on?"

Remus sighed as he looked at Draco and he wondered if he was listening to what he had to say. Since there was no indication at all, Remus turned his head back to face Harry, and he took a deep breath before launching into a lengthy explanation.

"The potion Voldemort fed her was even more powerful than we had expected. We managed to find out the name of the potion as well as where Voldemort's lair really was. We sent a couple of Aurors to apparate there to get the potion and did a test on that. It turns out that the potion was specially concocted by Goyle's father. It made Hermione under the complete control of Voldemort. The bad news is the potion is addictive, unless we find the antidote. The good news is that her memory isn't erased."

This caught Draco's immediate attention. His head snapped up from its original position and he asked, "so she still remembers me?"

"We think so. But the thing is, even though her memories aren't totally gone from her mind, she's right now, just like a patient who's suffering from amnesia. We're not sure how long this state of mind will work. And the fact that the potion's addictive isn't helping matters. Even if she is provided with triggers that prompt her memory, the potion may just erase them in the same day. So it's almost like a vicious cycle over and over again."

"The antidote?" Harry asked.

"We need to find it. Obviously Hermione wouldn't know, and Goyle isn't exactly talking either. So we're rather caught in a dead end, unless we find out where or what the antidote is."

Draco stood up, and this gesture surprised the hell out of both Harry and Remus.

"So can I take her away?"

Remus had an unreadable expression on his face.

"I don't know, Draco. I really don't. I think we need the approval of the majority of the jury for that. Or else…" he couldn't bear to finish his sentence.

"Or else she gets sent to Azkaban." Draco's voice contained so much anguish in it that Remus wanted to lie. But he couldn't.

"Yes, Draco, even though it most probably wouldn't be a permanent stay there."

Draco didn't want his Hermione near any of those _things_ in Azkaban, even if it was only for a short while.

"Fight for me, please." It was not a demand, but a plea – a plea to Remus to help him and Hermione get out of this rut they were stuck in.

"I will, Draco, you know I bloody hell will."

The wait seemed like forever. It seemed like a hundred years had just gone past before Remus stepped out of the room, looking even more tired than before.

And then he opened his mouth to give his answer…

A/N: MUAHAHA another cliffhanger! Sorry I've been sooooo bloody busy with work. Plus, the writer's block I'm having right now isn't exactly helping. But maybe reviews will help? Haha P


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